Few cities, let alone villages, can boast two restaurants awarded three Michelin stars but the quaint 16th-century British hamlet of Bray near Windsor is a veritable cauldron of culinary creativity.
Not only is it home to The Waterside Inn, Michel Roux’s multi-award-winning restaurant that has received three Michelin stars for an astounding 23 years running, but just round the corner is Heston Blumenthal’s equally well-known The Fat Duck.
Blumenthal is famous for his use of molecular gastronomy – a process whereby ingredients are matched according to their chemical make-up. It certainly makes for some unusual pairings – on his tasting menu you’ll find snail porridge, salmon poached in liquorice and egg and bacon ice-cream.
Not that the critics are complaining. The Fat Duck was named best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine in 2005 and came second in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
The problem, of course, is that you can’t just pitch up to either of these establishments and expect to get a table. They’re booked out for months in advance and there is the matter of the cost – The Waterside Inn’s tasting menu costs £95 ($241) and The Fat Duck’s is £125.
Fortunately, there’s an alternative.
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Rob McFarland 